Production of split-up pull-tab closure disks



Oct. 29, 1929. w. 1.. WRIGHT PRODUCTION OF SPLIT UP PULL TAB CLOSURE DISKS Filed D90. 1928 Patented Get. 29, 1929 WILB'JR L. wmam rrvmoa, new ORK Application filed December 3, 1928. Serial No. 323,384.

I r This invention relatesto the production of paper material closure disks, and this application IS in part a continuation of my appl1- cation filec Sept'24, 1927, 'Ser. No. 221,744 I t 'No. 221,744, discloses diagrammatically apfor patent for method of and apparatus for producing paper material closure disks; and the objects and'nature of the invention will be understood by those skilled intheart in the light of the following explanations of -19 the accompanying drawings that show What I now believe to be the preferred mechanical expression or' embodiment of my invention from among other forms,constructions and combinations Within, the scope and spirit thereof, and the preferred method of carrying out my invention. a a I 1 The object of the invention is, primarily, to improvethe mode of and means for manipulating paperstock, in the manufacture of bottle closure disks, to strip or separate pull tabs at theirpick up ends'and toward their bases, from the paper stock forming, the closure disks or from hichthe closure disks are finally cut or punched i With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in the peculiar mode or method hereinafter set forth and in means of novel and advantageous construction for carrying on the method as hereinafter explained, and specified. I a f Referrin to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatijcal sectional elevation of a portion of apparatus for producing sheet paper material closure disks having portions to split up and form pull tabs. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section on an enlarged scale, showing thepreviously incised portion of a Web of shcetrpaper board, being flexed or bent over an anvil tocause the portion of the sheet outlined by the incision, to split upwardly, at its pick up end and therefrom towards its base, from the body of the sheet or Web. I J, r A 1 Fig. 3 is a detail top plan oftheformof anvil disclosed by Figsl and 2. If

' Fig. shows in plan a portion of a Webof paper board or'sheet paper material to illustrate various progressive steps in the method srATss PATENT'OFFICE I I ing up to the finalstep of punching the completed disk from the Web or sheet.

My application filed Sept. 24;, 1927 Serial paratus for producing paper material closure disks, and reference is hereby made to the disclosure of suchapplication forillustration of an embodiment in which the invention ofthe instant case can be employed to perform the step of strippingthe pull tab portions of the successive closure ,disk areas of the advancing paper sheet or Web, although I donot'in all respects desireto so limitiny present invention. r

The apparatus of my aforesaid pending application provides mean'sfor feeding or advancing a sheet orwveb ofipaper materlal or boardfrom a roll, ste bystep across a bed and under a series '0 pro'gressively arrangedmechanisms that all act on different portions of the Web at thesametime, While the, Webis at rest aftereach advancing step, to among other operations, print indicia on areas of the Web that are ultimately to con stitute the top faces of the closure disks, in-

cise and pickoutpieces from said areas, strip up the pulltab portions incisedin said areas, apply staples through the Webat the bases of the pull tab portions of the areas, and finally punch or cut out said areasfrom the Web to form the completed disks. a

According to the disclosureof the instant case,an,area of the paper board Web a, is first printed if printed closure disks are being produced, or is not printed if non-printed disks are desired; thereafter the Web moves forward and hile at rest, saidarea has a plug of papercut and removed therefrom to form the depression 6, having a closed imperforate floor thereafter the web moves for,- Ward and then While at rest, isincised in its top face but part way through its thickness to outline the pull tab portion 0.; having its pick upend edge forming a vertical side wall of the depression 6; thereafter, in the particular example disclosed, the incised area is i bent or flexed in such a manner as to cause the pull tab portion 0. to split upwardly from the bodyof the web and therebybecome freed therefrom at its pick up end for any desired distance longitudinally thereof toward its base or juncture with the body of the web; and thereafter the web moves forward and when at rest the staple d, is driven through the web and clinched at the underside thereof so as to be located in said area across the i base of the pull tab portion 0, to prevent the pull tab tearing from the body of the disk during the closure disk extracting operation, and thereafter said area is punched or cut from the web to form the completed closure disk.

Fig. 4: of the drawings, discloses a portion of asheet or web of paper board with a suc cession of areas Z), to be ultimately out therefrom in round disk form, indicated by dotted circles, to more or less diagrammatically illustrate the step followed in producing the completed disk 0, shown by an unbroken line circle.

The paper board web a, is drawn by suitable means, not shown, over suitable dies and a suitable anvil on a bed or table 1, and under a vertically reciprocatory head 52, carrying means to cooperate with said dies and anvil when the web is at rest in performing certain of the hereinbefore mentioned steps.

For instance, the head 2, shown in an elevated position in Fig. 1, and at the limit of its operative downward stroke, in Fig. 2, carries a depending hollow punch 3, to cooperate with die 4, on bed 1, to out part way through the paper web a, and pick out and remove a paper plug toform depression 7), in each area of the web, all as set forth in my prior application. This head, a step or more behind punch 3, also carries incising blade 5, to cooperate with die 6, on bed 1, in incismg each area ofthe web that includes depression Z), to outline the pull tab portions 0, with the incisions extending but about half way through the web, as set forth in my prior ap plication.

The head 2, a step or two behind incising blade 5, carries a dependingdie 7, to cooperate with an anvil 8, on the bed 1, in bending and flexing the incised area of the web in such manner as to cause the pull tab portion 0, to strip upwardly at its pickup end, about as shown by Fig. 2.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, the anvil '8, consists of a rounded, such as a semi-cylindrical, fixed elevation rising from the bed with its horizontal longitudinal axis arranged transversely of the'direction of feed I ranged to form transverse rows of closure disk areas across a wide paper web, said rod can be elongated with flattened portions 8,

intervening between its anvil forming cylindrical portions 8, although I do not wish to so limit my invention.

In the'particular example illustrated, the disk forming areas (shown by the dotted line circles Fig. 4 are incised in such manner that the pull tab portions 0, in length extend in the direction of the paper web feed, with the depressions b, at the advancing ends of said portions 0, although I do not wish to so limit my invention to the longitudinal arrangement of the portions 0, or to the location of the depressions b, at the front ends thereof, nor to the presence or absence of said depressions.

The paper web feed mechanism, not shown, is arranged to cause the paper web to come to rest after being advanced a step, with a pull tab portion 0, above the anvil S, with the vertical radial line of the anvil located approximately midway the length of said pull tab portion. While the paper web is thus positioned and at rest, the head 2, descends and the die 7, flexes or bends the web down over the anvil by depressing the web, preferably, both in front of and behind the anvil ancl in front of the front end of portion 0, so that the pull tab portion 0, is free to exercise its tendency to remain in its normal horizontal position and strip or split from its free end toward its base, from the body of the web thatis forcibly bent and flexed down from the normal horizontal position. In this instance, the die 7, provides a vertical front blade or presser bar arranged transversely of the web that descends on the web just in advance and free of the front end of the pull tab portion 0, and preferably in advance of the crown of the anvil. If so desired, and preferably, the die 7, provides a rear blade or presser bar parallel and spaced from the front blade that descends on the web and depresses the same at the rear of the crown of the anvil, although I do not wish to so limit all features of the invention. In this particular example, the die 7, provides an approximately U-shaped formation approximately centrally arranged above the anvil to approximately straddle the same, in operation, with the paper web interposed and bent over the anvil, and the pull tab portion free and unobstructed from above, to remain in approximate normal position, as the body 'of the web 1s stripped therefrom by the act of flexing the same over the anvil.

After completing the stripping operation, the head returns on its upward stroke, and thereupon the paper web moves forward on a feeding step to bring another disk area over the anvil.

hen freed from thebending pressure of the die 7, the web springs back to horizontal or fiat position and the pull tab portion 0, is restored to its position in the plane of the web and to the socket formed by the splitting of the body of the web from the tab portion.

Thereafter by subsequent steps, the staple is driven through the area and clinched to prevent the pull tab tearing at its base from the disk, and the completed disk is cut or punched from the paper web.

However, I do not wish to limit all fea tures of my invention to the particular embodiment herein disclosed for flexing or bending the paper to cause the portion 0, to split and separate from the body of the paper, nor to the particular embodiments disclosed by my hereinbefore identified pending application for bending the paper to cause the portion thereof defined by incisions to strip or separate from the body of the paper. So far as I have been able to discover, I am the first to free or strip a portion, of sheet paper stock or board, defined by an incision or incisions part way through the stock, by bending or flexing the stock.

What I claim is z 1. Apparatus for producing sheet paper stock with integral tab portions in thickness less than the thickness of the stock; said apparatus embodying cutting means to incise the stock part way through to outline a tab portion, and means to bend and Her: the stock adjacent to said portion to strip and free the stock from said portion from its end toward its base.

2. Apparatus for producing sheet paper stock with integral tab port-ions in thickness less than the thickness of the stock; said apparatus embodying cutting means to incise the stock part way through to outline a tab portion, an anvil, and a presser to bend the stock over the anvil with said portion over the anvil and free to remain in approximate normal position while the body of the stock strips and separates therefrom throughout a portion of the length thereof at least.

8. Apparatus for producing sheet paper stock with integral tab portions in thickness less than the thickness of the stock; said apparatus embodying cutting means to incise the stock part way through to outline a tab portion, a rounded fixed upwardly projecting anvil on which the stock rests, and an opposing straddling presser to bend the stock over anvil with said portion over the anvil'and free to resist bending on the anvil with the body of the stock,whereby the body of the stock separates from and frees said portion in part from the body of the stock.

4. In the production of sheet paper stock with a tab portion integral therewith and but a fraction of the thickness thereof and split and freed therefrom and at one end remaining fixed thereto, that step which consists in bending the stock to separate and split the same in part from said portion while said portion remains free to resist the bending action. I

5. In the production of closure disks that are-incised partway throughto provide panels that can be stripped from one endto form pull tabs, said disks being formed of and cut'from fiat paper stock; those steps which consist in incising the stock part way and split from the stock to form closure cap pull tabs; thereafter flexing the successive areas of the stock to strip or free at least said end of the panel from the stock, thereafter restoring the freed ends of, the panels to their original positions within the areas,

and finally cutting the completed disks from the stock.

7. Apparatus for producing flat paper disks formed with portions capable of being picked up from one end and split to form tabs; comprising paper stock cutting means to incise the stock to provide the same with such portions; and means for thereafter bendingthe stock to split and free at least the pick up ends of said portions.

8. Apparatus for producing flat paper disks formed with portions capable of being picked up from one end and split to form tabs; comprising paper stock cutting means to incise the stock to provide the same with such portions; and means for thereafter bending the stock to split and free the pick up ends of said portions, embodying an elevated part to lie under the stock and opposing presser means to bend the stock over said elevated part.

9. In the production of closure disks that are incised part way through to provide panels that can be stripped from one end to form pull tabs, said disks being formed of and out from flat paper stock; those steps which consist in ineising the stock part way through to outline such panel, and then bending and flexing the stock to split and separate at least the pick up end of the panel from the body of the stock, and restore the same to the plane of the stock. I 10. In the production of closure disks from sheet paper stock, those stepswhich consist in incising successive areas of the stock part way through the thicknessthereof to form and split from the stock to form closure cap pull tabs; thereafter flexing the successive areas of the stock to strip or free the pick up panels that can be picked up from one end ends of the panels at least, from the stock;

thereafter restoring said pick up ends to ap- 

